


I may not be correct but I am always right!

by Billybobbystanley



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire (Teen Wolf), Falling In Love, Fluff, M/M, Minor Character Death, Online Dating, Slow Build Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-22 11:48:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30038247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Billybobbystanley/pseuds/Billybobbystanley
Summary: Stiles feels like he is being left behind when everyone else is settling down. Taking the logical approach he decides to start a new project finding his perfect person. With his checklist and plan he was definitely going to find them. Will he be able to accept that fate has a way of stepping in or will his determination to always be right get in the way.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Lydia Martin/Jordan Parrish, Melissa McCall/Sheriff Stilinski, Scott McCall/Kira Yukimura, Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	1. Scott and the bad good news

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for another fandom but never finished it. I've wanted to finish for a while and I love Sterek so I have rewritten about my favourite boys! I've got three chapters written and am hoping to post each week. Enjoy!

Stiles was waiting for the phone call before he could run out of the office, he would be late again. He knew once he got there it would be a great night but life would be much easier if he could stay and catch up on the pile of work that was gradually taking over his desk. When Scott had called him a couple of weeks ago letting him know about the date for drinks he was excited, it had been far too long since the groups of boys had been together. It had also been a while since he had spent time with his best friend. They had grown up three houses away from each other and were pretty much joined at the hip from Kindergarten. When his cell rang yesterday he knew who it was before he even looked at the call display and accepted the call laughing.

“Of course I’m coming,” Stiles said while continuing to laugh. Scott knew him well and that his usual strategy was to ditch the evening before with a text blaming work.

“Come on Stiles it’s me your talking to. I was surprised I didn’t get the text message already!” Both of them were smiling as they knew he was right.

“OK, OK I promise I will be there. I’ve got a meeting at 6.30pm so I’ll make my way afterwards. No text this time definitely.”

“Good. We don’t get to meet up that often and I’ve missed you my friend. Before you ask again we are meeting at 8 at O'Connor's. Try and make it before closing Stiles!”

They all used to meet up a lot more often but as they had grown life got in the way. One by one the boys had settled down with some of them even starting a family. At 24 how had he managed to be left behind? The phone on his desk rang into life and he switched his focus back to work.

Saying his goodbyes to the client he put the phone back on the receiver, grabbed his jacket and bag, and made for the door. If he managed to get a cab outside he would only be an hour or so late and what was that between friends.

He arrived at the bar and made his way through the crowd looking for his friends, spotting them sitting at the usual table at the back. He was greeted by a cheer and took his usual seat offering apologies for his late arrival. Conversation flowed between them all and they caught Stiles up on what he had missed.

After a couple more drinks Scott tapped on the table to get everyone’s attention and declared he had an announcement. “Now we are all finally here it’s Stiles for the big bit of news. Poor Stiles is going to need some support over the next couple of months due to the situation he now finds himself in!” The boys turn to him in surprise waiting for the revelation. No one looked more confused than Stiles who had no idea what his best friend was talking about. The panic must have shown on his face as he ran through the conversations he had with Scott recently to see what he could be referring to but drew a blank. Scott didn’t leave them hanging for much longer and said “I proposed to Kira over the weekend and she said yes! That leaves Stiles as the last one left! Better hurry up and find Mr Right my friend.” Stiles leapt from his seat with a broad grin on his face and hugged Scott while congratulations were offered by the group. He was so happy for him, Kira was a perfect match for him and he could see how much they adored each other. Stiles dismissed the jokes made at his expense and laughed that he was now left on the shelf. Another round was bought and they toasted the happy couple.

Scott moved seats to be next to his best friend. “I’m sorry for ragging on you,” he said.

“ I know you don’t mean it.” said Stiles “ I’ll forgive you this time. Seriously though I am so happy for you. Kind of took a long time for you to pop the question though seeing as your not likely to find anyone else!”

Scott’s smile was infectious as he looked at his best friend. “She makes me happy Stiles, I can’t imagine my life without her. Between the pressure from my mum and her mum to seal the deal, I couldn’t wait much longer.”

They both laughed knowing how many hints Scott's mum Melissa had dropped at her birthday barbecue last month about needing to have grandchildren before she got too old.

“You know my mum is going to start on you about settling down now don’t you,” Scott said.

She was his like his second mum as they grew up. After he lost his mum he struggled much more than other people thought as he was good at hiding it. Melissa has wordlessly stepped in and tried to fill the gap. His dad tried the best he could and over the years their relationship had become everything to him. He knew that no matter what his dad loved and supported him and that he could talk to him about anything, but there was still some needed a mum. 

It was difficult to separate the boys out growing up, where there was one the other would be close behind like their shadow. It was strange how so many events in their happened so close to each other, from losing their front teeth, going on their first date and landing their dream jobs. This would be the biggest life-changing moment that wouldn’t be shared which made Stiles a little sad. He might be able to avoid Melissa for a while but his dad was a different matter and he could already hear what he was going to say about this good news. The lectures he had received about settling down and starting a family had increased in frequency over the last few years and Stiles had learnt to smile and nod. He knew the importance of love and family but his priorities had been in a different direction.

The last couple of years he had focused on his career. It wasn’t a conscious decision not to find Mr Right it just sort of didn't happen. He had set himself clear goals after he left college. Stiles wanted to be financially stable and chased promotion after promotion at work, he just assumed that in-between achieving his goals he would meet the man of his dreams and have the fairy tale life together. There had been a couple of dates over the last few years but nothing that made him want date number two. He had a serious boyfriend in his freshman year of college so it wasn’t that he open to a long term commitment. Matt had introduced himself at a Halloween party and Stiles was smitten. His beautiful blue eyes, genuine smile and a sarcastic sense of humour had been what Stiles was attracted to initially. They were inseparable for most of the next nine months and he was devastated when Scott had sat him down to tell him that they had seen him kissing a guy from the track team. Since then no one had really set the butterflies off in his stomach. Stiles wanted soul-changing, heart pumping, life-altering real love.

It was the big family lunch on Sunday which he was now dreading. After Scott and Stiles graduated college their parents had demanded a monthly lunch so they could all catch up and attendance was mandatory, There would be no hiding this good news as the grapevine or Melissa would have called his dad straight away. He was pleased for his best friend but was not pleased about the attention it would bring to him. It would be best to drop a message to Lydia so she could help him fend off dads questions.

Lydia had been his crush through high school. To say he was obsessed didn’t fully explain how Stiles felt. Everyone (including Lydia) was aware of his five year/ten year/fifteen year plan which was regularly updated and extended when Lydia entered into a new relationship with someone that wasn’t him. She has mostly tried to ignore him although she wasn’t rude. They had been in the same classes for most of their subjects and been thrown together in projects inside and outside of the classroom as the two most intelligent students there. Lydia had tried to be subtle about her lack of romantic feelings for Stiles but he was never good at picking them up. Eventually it had been a tragic accident that had cemented their friendship and showed Stiles that while they were perfect together it was a platonic relationship that was the right thing for them.

In their English class Lydia has been summoned to the Office. It was a rare occurrence so it had them all speculating the reason. She hadn’t returned by the time the class had finished and Stiles was beginning to get worried. He knew it was probably something bad when he saw his dad (the Sheriff) escorting her out of the office with his arm around her shoulder. Lydia was not one to show her emotions in public but the tears streaming down her face were a clear sign that unfortunately Stiles had been right. He started to walk quickly over to his dad but before he had a chance to speak his dad made eye contact and shook his head at him while escorting Lydia out the main door.

At home that evening Stiles paced in the kitchen waiting for his dad to get off his shift. He had tried to call her but it went straight to voicemail and the messages were left unread. He heard the creek of the front door and went straight to the fridge to get out a beer for his dad knowing that it would have been a bad day. John walked into the kitchen and slid onto the bench at the table and Stiles handed over the opened bottle. After taking a long sip he looked at his son and said “I know you want details but I can only give you the basics.” Stiles was about to start with the questions but thought better of it knowing it wouldn’t make his dad give him any more information than he could. “Lydia’s parents were in a car accident this morning. They didn’t make it.” The questions flew through his head but the important one is the one he asked. “Is Lydia ok?”. John sighed and “She’s as well as she can be son. Her aunt came to get her this afternoon and took her home. She is going to need all the love and support she can.” The silence that followed between the men was them reflecting on their own experience of loss. Although his mum had not died the same way the impact of life changing event would have the same emotional outcome.

Stiles didn’t see her until several weeks later. Everyone commented on how well she was doing as she swept into rooms with a bright smile and a positive attitude. He saw straight through the act and knew what pain was occurring underneath that tough exterior. Stiles didn’t push her but made himself available at any time. He sent messages of support and played along with her plan in public. In private he sent her messages of support and just listened. Slowly the shell started to break and they bonded over their shared experience and pain. They developed friendship that few would properly understand and she became the sister he never had. Lydia was eternally grateful for the support she also received from the sheriff. He had been there for her above and beyond what was required by his job and they had remained close. It was hard to pinpoint when she became the unofficial third Stilinski but her attendance at family lunch was also considered mandatory although she would never consider not attending.

Back at the bar Stiles watched the boys leaving one by one agreeing not to leave it as long next time. Stiles and Scott were left nursing their beer with Stiles emptying out his thoughts to his best friend. One of the strengths of their friendship was how honest they were with each other.

“I must admit I am a bit jealous. I feel like everyone is moving on to the next stage of their lives and I’m stuck. Work is great but it feels like that is all I have.”

“Don’t beat yourself up Stiles. It's not a race down the aisle.”

“It’s not about getting a ring on my finger.” He sighed, “I feel like I’m not living the life I thought I was going to. If I’m being honest Scott, I am lonely. I get comments from people asking why I don’t have a boyfriend and I’ve got really good at saying I’m happy on my own.” Stiles knew that the alcohol has loosened his tongue and allowed him to admit things out loud he would never say, even to his best friend.

Scott smiles at his friend and laughs “ You think I didn’t know that. You may be a good actor Stiles but I know you better than you know yourself. If you're not happy with being alone then do something about it.”

“There is no way I am doing speed dating or setting up an internet profile!”

“That’s not the only way to meet people Stiles. It will mean you have to spend time in places other than your office. He is out there you just have to find him.”

He knew Scott was right. If he was unhappy with what he had it wasn’t going to change unless he did something about it. They finished their drinks and said their goodbyes. In the cab going home he ran through his conversation with his best friend. He promised himself that he was going to do it, he was going to find his Mr Right. He was going to tackle this the same way he did his career. The target was clear and all he needed was his timeline. His mind was made up, by the time of Scott’s wedding he would be bringing the man of his dreams with him.

Stiles felt brighter when he woke the next morning despite the hangover. The plan had been made and even if he had no idea how he was going to find him it made him feel more positive. Knowing nothing about the dating scene he decided to fall back on his skills. He would complete some basic research looking for the most successful way to find a man then implement the strategy. He didn’t know why he hadn’t done this before, this would be easy.

After arriving at work he called in his assistant Erica and went through the outstanding items and meetings that had been scheduled for that day. He wanted to get through work as soon as possible as project Mr Right would begin as soon as he got home. His mind started to wander and he lost all concentration.

“Stiles, ….Stiles, …….Earth to Mr Stilinski!” The increasing volume snapped him back to the room.

“Sorry Erica, I’m not sure where I went,” he said while trying to hide a smile.

“What is going on? Your hiding something! I can see that cheeky smile Stiles!”

“I’m not hiding anything!” Stiles knew he wouldn’t get away with that as the smile he was trying to hide shone through. Erica laughed at him as they both knew the game was up.

“OK, OK, It’s not as exciting as you think. I met with Scott and the boys last night for a beer which turned into a bit of a celebration as he told us he had just proposed to his girlfriend. I’m really happy for him and they make a perfect couple. It just got me thinking ………………… I’m last one out of the group who isn’t married or engaged. I always assumed I’d meet the right person and settle down, that it would just happen.”

“It will happen for you Stiles. Sometimes you have to be a bit more patient. I never thought I would find someone then I literally bumped into Boyd in the grocery store and three years later we got married. I believe in destiny, you’ll find him when you are least expecting it. What is the smile for?”

“I’ve decided I can’t wait for destiny to sort itself out, I am going to find Mr Right and I’m going to find him now. You know what I am like when I have made my mind up.”

“God help the men out there as Stiles Stilinski is on the prowl!”


	2. Erica and maybe the lunch of destiny?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The project continues and Stiles and Derek meet!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to play around with the typical Stiles profile and made him responsible and adult to start. Let's see how that works! I've also given Derek permanently blue eyes. Just go with it.
> 
> I know I was going to post weekly but I was bored.

Erica convinced him to go out for lunch so they can discuss strategy.

“My friend works in a bar a couple of blocks over. It’s only just opened and the food is amazing. We can talk through your plans.”

“I’ve got far too much to get done before that new client meeting next week.”

“Don’t argue with me, Stiles!” Erica walks over to him, pulls back his chair and passes him his jacket. He knew better than try to argue with her.

There weren’t any free tables but they managed to grab two stools at the end of the bar. Picking up the menu he was expecting it to be the usual burger and fries but was surprised to see it was Italian and not just basic pizza and pasta. His mouth waters as he reads the options and it would be a struggle to pick what to have.

“Erica! I’m so glad you took me up on my invitation!”

Stiles and Erica turn around to a tall dark man standing behind them with a large smile on his face. Not able to contain herself Erica jumps up to hug him.

“Derek! How could I resist your invitation, you know I love your cooking. Let me introduce you – Derek this is my wonderful boss Stiles. Stiles this is the best chef on the planet Derek.”

“Nice to meet you.” Said Stiles shaking his hand. His eyes flick up and he takes in Derek properly for the first time. It’s the eyes that hold him to start, they are blue like a cloudless sky on a sunny day. He is immediately brought back to his ex and remembers the hurt. His body unconsciously shudders at the memory.

“It’s really busy! Doesn’t take long for the word to get around about how good your cooking is,” said Erica.

Derek blushes and looks down at his feet, clearly unable to take any compliments.

“Let me know when you have decided what you would like. I can recommend the linguine with garlic butter prawns, that’s today's special. I’ve got a beautiful Pinot Grigio that will be perfect with it.”

They nod in agreement, their mouths already watering in anticipation.

“Let’s get down to business. What are you looking for in Mr Right?”

“Around my age, has a good job so he is financially secure. Organised?” It’s clear he doesn’t really know how to express what he wants.

“Wow Stiles, really interesting list of requirements. Are you sure you're looking for a relationship or a business partner?”

“What am I supposed to say? It’s really hard to explain.”

“Unless you know what you want you’re never going to be able to find him.” Erica looked at him and smiled. Derek interrupts them and places their glasses in front of them and pours the wine. What Stiles needs is an example of what other people could look for so he could get some ideas. She looks up at Derek and thinks it might be better coming from someone other than her.

“Derek, If I was to ask you what you were looking for in a Miss Right what would you say?”

“To start with it would be a Mr Right.” Stiles smiles at this revelation, although he’s not sure why it should matter. “I’d want someone who was passionate, caring, creative. He would have to be close to his family. Confident in himself and willing to show emotion. Most important is someone who makes my stomach flip every time they walk into a room. I want someone who I can’t live without and they can’t live without me.”

Both Erica and Stiles just stare at Derek, mouths wide open. “Now that’s a list!” Erica says with a giant smile, while punching Stiles in the arm. Derek smiles at them and walks away. Secretly Stiles is really impressed about how honest he is and aware of what he wants. He wants all those things too.

The food was as outstanding as Erica said it would be. Stiles makes a mental note to bring Lydia as she loves Italian food as much as he does. He looks around to find Derek to thank him for the best Italian he has had in a long time; the place was still heaving with people. He spots him at the back, catches his eye and smiles then mouths a thank you. Derek put his hand to his chest, slightly bows and returns his focus to the table he is serving.

Back at work, Stiles isn’t able to fully concentrate on preparing for his big client meeting, he keeps running through the list of things that Derek said he wanted in a Mr Right. Erica was right that he should have a list of what he wants, he gets out the small notebook he kept in his suit jacket pocket and turns to a new page. At the top he writes ‘Project Mr Right’ and holds his pen poised over the paper waiting for inspiration. Five minutes must pass and the page is still blank as he is far too critical of whatever pops into his head. He decides to put the notebook back in his pocket and promises himself that he will put some thought in it over the weekend and have a complete list by Monday.

Much later that evening, on the way back from the office, he remembered the big Sunday lunch he was required to attend. He dug out his cell and called Lydia. If his dad had heard the news about Scott’s engagement, which was almost 100% certain, he would need Lydia to deflect attention.

“Hey, my best boy! What do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”

“Can a loving friend not want to speak to his favourite lady just because he loves her?”

“Stop with all the crap Stiles! After that sucking up all I can say is whatever it is you want, your best friend better get something good for helping you out.”

“All I need is your amazing skill of changing the topic of conversation at lunch tomorrow. Have you heard about Scott?”

“Not heard a thing. Is he ok?”

“He proposed to Kira and she said yes. Another one bites the dust.”

“I'm so pleased for him, she’s lovely. Ohhh……….. I see where you are going the topic change!”

“Yep. I think this officially makes me the last one left. Even though technically Scott and Kira have been together for some time the engagement makes it official. Even you let me down.”

“I wouldn’t call marrying Jordan letting you down Stiles! At least I didn’t make you suffer a wedding and eloped. Your dad still hasn’t forgiven me for not being able to walk me down the aisle”

“He never got the big family wedding so now he is going to expect it from me. This lunch is going to be a nightmare.”

“Don’t worry, between us we can get her distracted. I will speak to Jordan and we will have a list of conversation topics that he won’t be able to resist.”

“Thanks Lyds.” Stiles sounded so sad.

“Stiles is there more to this? You sound like Scott’s news is the worst thing you have heard.”

“Don’t get me wrong I am really pleased for him. He is such a good man and deserves all the happiness in the world. It's just made me think about being alone …… I don’t know……what’s wrong with me Lydia? I know I am not much of a catch…”

She interrupts him “Do not carry on with that sentence! Stiles, you are an incredible person. Your intelligent, funny, caring and anyone would be lucky to have you. Just because someone has a partner it doesn’t make them better. There is someone out there for you and he will be damn lucky to get you. Stop being negative about yourself as you know I’m the only one who is allowed to do that!”

“Ok, you win. I promise no more negativity. I gave myself some time to sulk and have come up with a plan.”

“Stiles Stilinski don’t tell me you are planning on downloading Grindr!”

Stiles laughed at her raised voice. “No, I am not planning on picking up random men off an app. I’ve started Project Mr Right. “He said sounding pleased with himself.

“You are such an idiot! Explain this project to me. It sounds ridiculous.”

“I don’t think people should rely on randomly bumping into their soulmate, It's far too inefficient. I know what I want and I am going to approach this methodically. I’ve started to identify important characteristics and it will allow me to create a profile for Mr Right. After this I ………

Stiles is interrupted by loud laughter from the other end of the phone. “Seriously Stiles you are hilarious. Finding Mr Right isn’t like a science project! I know you love planning and making lists but you can’t find true love like that. It’s the spark in someone's eyes, the smile that makes you melt the touch that drives you wild. Can’t find those with a list!”

“Let's agree to disagree.” He snaps back.

“Okay, okay. How you find him doesn’t matter. I’m here to help in any way I can. Don’t worry about tomorrow, we can manage your dad.” She says to appease him.

“See you tomorrow. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Stiles usually spent a Saturday doing chores and catching up on any work he had to do. It started to become a habit that he would pop into work for a couple of hours to try and get ahead for the following week, the partners loved when you showed your commitment to getting the job done. He decided that this weekend was going to be different as he needed to focus on project Mr Right so no going to the office today. The sooner he got the plan sorted the sooner he can find him.

He pulled out his laptop, got the notebook from his jacket and sat at the dining table. Looking at the page in his notebook he was hoping for some inspiration to fill in what he was looking for. He wished he knew how to express he wanted like the man at the bar, he was worried that if he couldn’t say what he wanted he would never find him. Not only is it what is he looking for in a partner but he also has no idea where to look. The internet will help on that one so he pulls up google. The first search is ‘gay dating’ - thousands of results – ok this will need more thought. He refined the search to ‘gay dating in Beacon Hills – not much better. Next search was ‘places to go to meet nice men’ – some really interesting pictures popped up so he quickly closed that tab. This was not really going in the direction he had hoped, only five minutes in and he was already starting to doubt the success of this. Perhaps he should sign up for internet dating? He had never considered before, it wasn’t something he thought was right for him. Lots of people had found their perfect person that way, questioning whether he was being too snobby he opened up a new tab. Another search returned some reputable sites and he picked one and registered. They wanted to know a lot of personal information which worried him as he was quite a private person. Some of the questions were weird – what was his favourite ice cream flavour? – If he was an animal which one would he be and why? Not really sure how knowing this would make his potential Mr Right contact him.

In the search area, he can narrow down what he is looking for. First up is physical characteristics. This should be an easy bit he thought, shouldn’t it? In height he picked 6ft or smaller, he didn’t want someone who towered over him. Again the tall man from the bar popped in his head, he was usually the tall one so it felt quite nice to feel small against him. He changed it to 6ft or taller. Age….mmm, would have to be someone the same age as him, he was looking for something serious and he felt that if they were younger they might not that? Definitely not too much older, there would be too much baggage with them. Eye colour….. that was an easy one, anything but blue. He didn’t want to look into Mr Right’s eyes and see his ex. Pressing enter he brought up the search results, all 1,000 of them. That was far too many so he filtered them by location. He was now down to 373, this was much better, he’d find someone by dinner time. Scrolling through the narrowed down list he started to lose confidence. Technically they were what he asked for but they just weren’t right. Trying not to be negative he opened one up one of them to see if more detailed information would help him to see if he's Mr Right.

Steve was a 23-year-old creative director from a successful advertising agency. He enjoyed running, wine tasting and listening to live music. The photo was not a full face shot and a bit too artistic for him, but he thought that it fit with the creative type. He hoped reading the responses to the weird questions might give him a bit more insight into this potential. His favourite flavour of ice cream was vanilla, mmm.. did that mean he wasn’t very adventurous? Stiles could be adventurous if he wanted but only if it was fully planned and organised. He used to be the exact opposite. It had been hard to train himself to be more responsible and less, umm, less, well less Stiles. Sorting out his medication had helped as well as a good diet and exercise. His friends had made small comments that he had trained the fun out of himself but he had to become a proper grown up and the old Stiles just wasn’t cutting it. Mr Right would appreciate the work he had put into becoming the new, better Stiles. Looking at the next section he read about the perfect date. Steve was a fan of live music so he would like to take his date out to see one of his favourite bands. After they would go for a meal and enjoy some great conversation. This sounded promising, not quite Stiles’s perfect date but it would be ok. Before he lost his nerve he pressed the match button at the top of the profile, if both people clicked it then a notification was sent to both people. As he had only just registered he knew there wouldn’t be a match yet but he secretly was a little disappointed. He had started with some positivity but it now felt like he had achieved nothing.

A demotivated Stiles decided to give up for the day, he would get his chores done so he would have a sense of accomplishment. As he walked into the kitchen he heard his phone ping, thinking it was a work email he walked over to the phone opening up his emails.

One unread email – You have a match!


End file.
